Press review: Mining in the South Pacific Vol. 7, No. 4, July – August 2015, 99 pages Compilation: Dr. Roland Seib, Hobrechtstr. 28, 64285 Darmstadt, Germany http://www.roland-seib.de/mining.html Copyright: The material is copyrighted by the media and authors quoted. Abbreviations in common use: BCL: Bougainville Copper Limited LNG: Liquid Natural Gas PIR: Pacific Islands Report PNG: Papua New Guinea Websites: Pacific Islands Report: http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/graphics.shtml PNG Post-Courier: http://www.postcourier.com.pg PNG The National. http://www.thenational.com.pg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barrick closes $298m Porgera JV deal with Zijin By: Henry Lazenby Creamer, Mining Weekly, 31st August 2015 The world’s largest gold producer by output Barrick Gold on Monday announced that it had closed a deal forming a strategic partnership with Zijin Mining Group. The Chinese firm initially acquired a 50% interest in Barrick Niugini (BNL) for $298-million in cash. Proceeds from the transaction would be used to repay debt. Barrick had been dealing with high debt levels in a lower gold-price environment, selling various noncore assets to reduce its $12.9-billion in debt, having pledged to raise at least $3-billion for this purpose this year. Canada's Barrick was orchestrating a pull-back from operations in the southern hemisphere, having already sold four mines in Australia, as well as the Papua New Guinea (PNG) divestment. Last month, the company had also sold a 50% stake in the Zaldivar copper mine, in northern Chile, to Antofagasta for $1-billion. It had also earlier in Au- gust struck a precious-metals streaming deal with Royal Gold, which had agreed to make an upfront cash payment of $610-million plus continuing cash payments for gold and silver delivered under Barrick's 60% interest in the Pueblo Viejo mine, in the Dominican Republic. 2 BNL owned 95% of and managed the Porgera Joint Venture (JV) gold mine, in PNG. The remain- ing 5% participating interest was held by Mineral Resources Enga and was divided equally between the Enga provincial government and local landowners. Barrick and Zijin had also struck a long-term strategic cooperation accord that outlined both companies’ intentions to collaborate on future pro- jects and joint investments, thereby, leveraging the strengths of each company. In partnering with Zijin, Barrick was advancing two central objectives set out as part of the company’s ‘back to the fu- ture’ strategy. The first was to strengthen the company’s balance sheet - the proceeds from the transaction would be used to pay down debt; the second was to form strategic partnerships that would create long-term value for all stakeholders. Under the new structure, Barrick and Zijin would jointly control BNL, and BNL would have a joint Barrick/Zijin board consisting of three Barrick nominees and three Zijin nominees. One party would nominate the executive MD, taking the main responsibility for operations of the mine, while the other party would nominate the chairperson and the deputy MD. Barrick noted that the current BNL management team would remain in place, with incumbent executive GM Greg Walker, nominated by Barrick as the first executive MD, while Zijin would nominate the first chairperson and deputy MD. Zijin’s role in BNL’s management of the Porgera JV was expected to grow over time as the company gained experience operating in PNG. Barrick’s share of gold output from the Porgera mine last year was 493 000 oz, at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $996/oz. This year's attributable output was expected to range between 500 000 oz and 550 000 oz of gold, at AISC of $1 025/oz to $1 125/oz. At the end of 2014, Barrick’s share of Porgera minerals comprised three-million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves and 4.1-million ounces of measured and indicated gold resources. PNG LNG project at Hides 4 shut Post-Courier, August 31, 2015 By JEFFREY ELAPA LANDOWNERS of the Hides 4 PNG LNG project have disrupted access to the Hides 4 project site in the Hela province yesterday as they staged a peaceful protest. An ExxonMobil spokesman con- firmed that the disgruntled landowners from Hides 4 staged a peaceful protest and blocked off the access to the PNG LNG facilities at Hides 4 but that has the action has not disturbed their normal production operation. “Access to our facilities has been impacted however our production opera- tions continue as normal. We are continuing to monitor the situation regarding the peaceful protest 3 at the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant today. “We respect the right of individuals to peacefully pro- test, but we also encourage continued dialogue between landowners and the government to reach a resolution. “We are concerned that benefits associated with the PNG LNG Project have not yet been received by validated landowners and ExxonMobil PNG would like to assure landowners that we have honoured our responsibilities under the Oil and Gas Act and project agreements. We are continuing to pay royalties into a government nominated Trust Account with the Bank of PNG while the government finalises their landowner identification processes. MRDC also continues to receive equity dividends from the PNG LNG project. While this is a matter between the land- owners and the government, we are continuing to do everything we can to encourage a speedy reso- lution. Though access to our facilities has been blocked our operations are continuing normally,” the company spokesperson said. Security forces on the ground also confirmed the protest and ruled out any aggregation from the protestors. The police source said the landowners are camping in front of the Hides conditioning plant and the Wellpad heads but no company properties have been dam- aged. The source said a meeting with the landowners Chief indicated that they would continue to block of the access and forcefully shut the projects to allow the Prime Minister and Finance Minis- ter James Marape to reopen the project when they visit the province this month. He said the land- owners told the security forces that they have decided to shut the project after their petition deliv- ered by their mouth piece, the Hides 4 landowners Umbrella Association has not been addressed by the Government. Meanwhile the Prime Minister has responded to 21 of the petitions delivered in a combined petition by the Hides PDL 1 and 7 landowners. However Hides 4 landowners Umbrella Association Chair- man Chris Payabe and Erick Yawai said that Hides 4 PDL 7 petition is different joint petition the Prime Minister responded to. They said many of the landowner groups motioned in the petition were not party to the Umbrella Benefit Sharing Agreement and the Landowner benefit sharing agreements. “The Hides 4 landowners Umbrella Association has mobilized the landowners to shut the projects because we have not received any respond to our petition and the resolution given to the authorities including Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff. Our Association is the mouth piece of the landowners and those others like the South Hides 4 association as stated in the joint petition is a group formed in 2012 to benefit from the IDG distribution at Boroko Police station,” they said. They said the landowners would continue to block and eventually shut the project until the Prime Minister who visits the province delivers their landowner funds. Somare wants Government to honour LNG agreements Post-Courier, August 31, 2015 BY GORETHY KENNETH EAST Sepik Governor Sir Michael Somare has appealed to the National Government to honour the PNG LNG Agreements reached in 2009 specifically in the lead up to the final investment decision to commercialise project. Sir Michael expressed disappointed that the current Government was not honouring the agreements reached in 2009, saying there were billions still owed to the landowners that had not been paid. The former chairman of the National Petroleum Company PNG Limited (NPCP) and Sinasina-Yangomugl MP Kerenga Kua also expressed outrage that binding contracts, legal entitlements and rights of the Hela people and the entire beneficiary group have not been hon- oured. Sir Michael and Kua made these remarks following the action of the Hela Landowners to close the flow of gas from the Hides wellheads to the Hides Gas condition facility if their petition to the Prime Minister is not satisfactorily addressed. It is estimated that more than K2 billion has not been paid to the landowners since 2009. But Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has provided the National Government’s response to 21 issues raised in peti- 4 tions from landowner groups in Hela Province. Mr O’Neill commended the petitioners for showing flexibility in discussion with the Government and extending their call for response which has ena- bled the Government to consult relevant Agencies and other landowner leaders. "I am fully aware of the frustrations of our people in Hela Province," he said in his response to the petition. "What I can assure you is that this Government is committed to working with all stakeholders, including the Hela Provincial Government, in addressing the State’s commitments in the Agreements." But Kua and Sir Michael stressed that the Government was not doing enough to address the issue. "Over more than 100 shipments later, since the PNGLNG Project started shipping gas to Japan and other countries, landowners and the entire Beneficiary Group which includes LLGs and provincial governments have not received a single toea of royalty, equity and development levy from the Na- tional Government. This is regardless of the fact that the ExxonMobil has paid these benefits to the National Government fulfilling its obligations under the Gas Agreement (2008).